Quasimoto first came to life on Madlib’s personal beat tapes in the producer’s early years, the mid 90s in Oxnard CA. These beat tapes were private music, made for himself and a small circle of local smokers and their car stereos.

The voice debuted as a featured artist on early Peanut Butter Wolf and Lootpack records.By the time of Quasimoto’s debut album The Unseen, most had caught on to the fact that Madlib and Quasimoto were one in the same.

Quasimoto a case of the MC as artistic alter ego, like a talking dummy from a surreal rap vaudeville. Quasimoto is usually the “bad character,” doing and saying what the producer doesn’t, with Madlib playing the noncommittal collaborator.

"Lord Quas" was originally meant to be truly unseen, an unknown entity, but he’s come to be represented in illustrated form, drawn by Madlib and Stones Throw art director Jeff Jank, and the character has been many other things over the years: rapper, cartoon, a poor-man’s Gorillaz, a toy, bad tattoo, internet meme.